| Grant number: | 18/23372-4 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |
| Start date: | July 01, 2019 |
| End date: | May 31, 2023 |
| Field of knowledge: | Health Sciences - Medicine - Maternal and Child Health |
| Principal Investigator: | Luiz Gonzaga Tone |
| Grantee: | Graziella Ribeiro de Sousa |
| Host Institution: | Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil |
| Associated research grant: | 14/20341-0 - Interactions between emerging therapeutic targets and developmental pathways associated with tumorigenesis: emphasis on pediatric malignancies, AP.TEM |
| Associated scholarship(s): | 21/11402-9 - Epigenetic regulation of LDOC1 in tumor biology of MEC subpopulation in posterior fossa ependymoma Group A, BE.EP.DR |
Abstract Ependymoma (EPN) is a primary neuroepithelial Central Nervous System (CNS) tumor originated in ependymal cells. It is the third most frequent of CNS tumor in childhood and corresponds to 6 to 12% of pediatric intracranial tumors. Currently, the treatment is performed with surgical resection and radiotherapy. Clinical trials with chemotherapy have been performed, but have not shown promising results. Since approximately 40% of the tumors are incurable and 50% of the patients develop local recurrence, the investigation of new therapeutic targets is necessary. In this context, the developmental molecular alterations such as Wnt, Hh and Notch, which have been described as responsible for the maintenance of auto-renewal of cancer cells in EPN. In addition to genetic modifications, epigenetic changes play an important role in the control of these pathways, such as silencing by hypermethylation of negative regulators. However, there are few reports that detail these mechanisms in EPN. Epigenetic modifications can be reversed, it has been demonstrated that the application of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors (DNMTs), such as 5-azacytidine, has shown antineoplastic effects in EPN, and is in phase I clinical trials. However, its use in different tumor types resulted in high toxicity for the patients. In this sense, second-generation cytidine analogues such as zebularine have been developed which present greater bioavailability, stability and less effects in non-tumor cells. The purpose of the present project is to verify the functional and molecular effects of zebularin in EPN cell lines, especially in regulator genes of developmental pathways in subgroups of worse prognosis, with the potential to provide a better understanding of mechanisms inherent to this tumor and to identify alternative therapies targeting cancer-specific epigenetic patterns. (AU) | |
| News published in Agência FAPESP Newsletter about the scholarship: | |
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